The Kings are heading out for their last game against the Warriors. Sacramento currently leads the series two to one, but tonight could level the score. With Golden State performing at their best this season, the Kings will face a tough challenge in San Francisco tonight.
Jonathan Kuminga Probable
Brandin Podziemski Out
Jake LaRavia Questionable
Domantas Sabonis Questionable
Jae Crowder Questionable
The Kings have been a strange team this year. Starting ice cold, they fired their head coach and immediately went on a run. Since that run, they’ve stayed around 500 on the season, sitting at 9th in the West. It’s a talented team but has a limited ceiling. They’ve done well against the Warriors, blowing them out in their first game and taking the second. The third game didn’t go as well as Golden State crushed them in Sacramento. Golden State has also only gotten better since that last game. They’ve won nine of their last ten games, and their roster has become a legitimate threat in the West.
The addition of Jimmy Butler has worked out better than anyone could have expected. Jimmy brings an extra dimension to this team they were lacking before. His defense, shot-making, and general basketball IQ fit in perfectly. He’s turned this group into a two-way beast as they climb the West standings.
Of course, it never hurts to have Steph Curry and Draymond Green on your team (unless you’re Jordan Poole), but this roster as a whole has come together. They’ve cut down on their rotation from the twelve-man lineup Kerr was running to a much more reasonable nine-man rotation. Everything seems to be falling into place for the Warriors.
This matchup should be intriguing, though. The Warriors have a big advantage coming into the game, but that doesn’t mean Sacramento is out of it. The Kings will have the advantage at center if Sabonis plays. If he can punish the lack of size on the Warriors, he could keep this game close.
The Kings have to win the bench minutes to make this a competitive game. The Warriors' bench has been electric, with Gary Payton and Buddy Hield dominating. The Kings will need Valanciunas, Keon Ellis, and Devin Carter to have solid games while slowing down the Warriors' bench. They’ll have a great chance to stay in this game if they can do that.
However, the road for the Kings to win this game will be challenging. The Warriors have just been too good, and with all their weapons across this roster, they’re the easy pick tonight.
Money line: SAC (+225) / GSW (-278)
Total Points: 234.5
Spread: +7.5 SAC (-115) / -7.5 GSW (-105)
With how the Warriors have played, it's hard to see them losing at home. The Kings have been solid but not at the same level. Even with the advantage of Sabonis at center, the Warriors' defense has been too good, and they can score against anyone. This should be another win in San Francisco as Golden State continues this win streak.
Considering that two of the three games these teams have played have exceeded this number, the over is the better line. Both sides have shooters who can get hot. This will likely be a high-scoring game unless the threes aren’t dropping for either side.
Sacramento is up two to one in the series against the Warriors. Even with the last loss to Golden State turning into a blowout, this game could be close. The way LaVine and DeRozan have been scoring, they can hang close to the Warriors. At 7.5 points, that’s plenty of wiggle room for the Kings.
In the three games these teams have played so far, Curry hasn’t hit 27 points in any of them. Even though his scoring has been up over the last couple of weeks, the Kings have played him well. It’s never a fun bet having the under on Curry, but tonight it looks like the better line.
If Sabonis plays tonight, he’ll have a good shot at 16 points. The Warrior’s defense has been better than you’d expect protecting the paint, especially with Butler. However, Sabonis should be able to get to the rim, but he’ll likely need some shots at the free throw line to get there. He finished with 14 in their last matchup, so he’ll likely be in the same ballpark tonight.
LaVine has been a solid shooter, averaging around 7 three-point attempts per game. The last time he played the Warriors, he wasn’t hitting, but with the number of attempts, he has a shot to make three. With plus odds on this line, it feels solid, considering he’s made at least 3 threes in half the games he’s played in March already.
Butler has been a solid rebounder since joining the Warriors. However, the last time these teams met, Butler only had three rebounds. This could be more of the same, as Butler is drawn out of the paint by DeRozan and LaVine. If he ends up playing more defense on the perimeter and running in transition, it might be hard for him to hit six boards.